On-the-Road Fishing Report

Sometimes it’s not the destination, it’s the journey.

Shirt for sale at the Kansas City airport:

There was not going to be a fishing report this week. However, some fishing happened.

Susan and I are visiting our friends Ken and Cindy in Camden Point, MO. They have a farm, on which is a little farm pond. It’s not a pretty pond but Ken assured me there were a lot of fish in it. I have a fly rod because I’m on my way to Alaska. However, I did not bring any flies, having shipped them all.

Susan and Ken at the Tractor Supply store.

Ken had a few plastic worm hooks. They have a furry dog. I had some dental floss. There was some foam pipe insulation in the cellar.

Daisy the Dog- a LOT of on-the-hoof fly tying material.

I did some fly tying, using my fingers for a vise, dental floss for thread, dog hair for hair, and foam pipe insulation as a popper body. A little superglue attached the foam over the wraps of dental floss. The results weren’t pretty, but I thought it would work.

The ugly Daisy-hair flies. Only the popper was tested.

This evening Ken and I walked down to the pond, braving the ticks and mosquitoes. The first several casts yielded nothing. But then there was a swirl, and I had a bass on my ugly fly.

The hideously ugly pipe insulation foam popper worked four times.

The scene repeated itself three more times inside of ten minutes. One lucky fish escaped by jumping off the hook. Three unlucky largemouth bass found themselves on a piece of string.

I filleted them with a paring knife. We cooked them in a Fry Daddy. They were delicious.

Yesterday we went to a farm and picked 10 pounds of strawberries. Susan and Cindy collaborated on a strawberry pie. It was delicious, too.

So while Ken has me working on tractors, feeding chickens, killing weeds, and other assorted farm chores, I am very much enjoying my stay here.

Don’t think there will be another fishing report for a couple of weeks at least.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short. Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.

Food Tyrants- A Review

Food Tyrants- Fight for Your Right to Healthy Food in a Toxic World, by Nicoles Faires, 242 pages, hardcover, Skyhorse Publishing, $24.95.

Human beings have several very basic needs. Clean air. Clean water. Healthy food. Love.

Food Tyrants only discusses food. Most of us trust corporate America to supply our food. In Food Tyrants author Nicole Faires makes a compelling argument that trusting Monsanto, other large food corporations, and the USDA is a really bad idea.

Monsanto is the company that brought us Agent Orange, Round-Up, and genetically modified seeds. Their goal is nothing less than complete control of the world’s food supply. They are scarily close to attaining that goal.

Most of the meat in your grocery store is produced by what Faires calls factory farms. Let’s just say that neither humane treatment nor hygiene are high priorities in these establishments. Read the book.

Most eggs sold in the United States are produced by hens in small cages. These eggs cause between 650,000 ands 3.8 million cases of Salmonella poisoning every year. Free-range egg-producing chickens cut salmonella down by 98 percent.

The USDA does everything it can to help large food corporations. “Their goal seems to be to protect the big farms from too much fallout when they sell contaminated food.” Less than one percent of cattle in the United States are tested for mad cow disease every year.

But the USDA has the manpower to send undercover agents out to harass and arrest farmers who are producing wholesome, locally grown, non-corporate foods.

Think about all the unhealthy people you know. Obesity, allergies, cancer- all of these illnesses and more are linked to the types and quality of the foods we eat.

OK, so there may be problems with our access to healthy food. What do we do about it? Faires advocates buying locally produced foods, starting local farms and farming cooperatives, urban neighborhood farms, backyard vegetable plots, etc. Take control of your access to healthy food as best you can, by whatever means necessary! As an example Faires uses the Victory Gardens that were in such widespread use during World War 2.

Food Tyrants offers step-by-step solutions to the problem of access to healthy food that anyone can follow. The book is very well written, with excellent documentation of everything she states (it has a 29 page bibliography) and an index.

Everybody who eats needs to read Food Tyrants, the most important book I’ve read in at least five years. I recommend it without reservation.

Visit Nicole Faires website at this link…

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.

Related articles

• Monsanto pushes bizarre conspiracy theory
• Monsanto Concedes Defeat in the Face of Europe’s Fierce Opposition to GMOs
• Dave Murphy: The March to Stop Monsanto: Taking Back Our Food, Our Farms, Our Democracy and Our Planet
• Monsanto Concedes Defeat in the Face of Europe’s Fierce Opposition to GMOs
• Food4Patriots Responds to Increase in Caffeinated Foods with Suggestion to Stockpile Healthy Food
• New Video and Article Describing the Healthy Bacteria in Food Published by BetterDigestion.org
• A Government of Monsanto, by Monsanto, and for Monsanto

Orlando Saltwater Tarpon Fishing Report

Since we are having a tropical storm I won’t be fishing again before the weekend, so here is this week’s Orlando saltwater tarpon fishing report-

Scott Radloff and I had an outstanding day tarpon fishing early in the week.

Monday we launched the Mitzi at Port Canaveral. We had no information about the fishing- no one had been out for almost two weeks due to the strong east winds. So we were on our own.

We found plenty of pogies by the Cocoa Beach pier. A couple tosses of the net and we were baited up.

We slow-trolled around the bait pods in a couple different places. Nothing. Apparently there weren’t any fish around the bait.

We headed out to sea.

Shortly we came across little tunny busting minnows. There is a very effective lure for this situation, the Sting Silver, manufactured by Haw River Tackle in North Carolina. I tied one on and was soon listening to the sweet sound of a reel in distress. Tunny are such awesome light tackle fish!

The Sting Silver is the hot tip for tunny. Doesn’t look like much but they do like it! Photo by Scott Radloff.

Tunny swim fast and soon they stopped busting in our immediate area. Then Scott saw a tarpon roll.

Soon we were surrounded by rolling fish. Scott put a pogie on (Daiichi circle wide hook, 5/0) and cast it out. Five seconds later a behemoth tarpon came flying out of the water.

This was a REAL fish.

It commenced to kicking Scott’s ass.

While it was doing that I had a strike from a more manageable fish of about 60 pounds. Tarpon double. You gotta love that.

I leadered and released my fish while Scott continued to struggle with Moby Dick. Finally after about an hour the fish broke off. Sadness and relief at the same time.

Scott had Moby up close a couple of times.

Then I hooked one almost as big. I tried to kick its ass before it could kick mine and succeeded in breaking it off after five jumps. Sadness and relief at the same time.

Scott hooked up to a more user friendly version.

The rest of the morning continued in the same vein. Most of the subsequent fish we hooked were significantly smaller. I got one that was only about 40 pounds. Scott video-taped that one. See the video here.

Trying to get a handle on the fish, I received a shower.

The wind came up out of the east and the fishing died. No rollers, no bites, no nothing. We were pretty beaten up, having jumped around twenty fish and leadered a half-dozen. Just a spectacular, awesome day.

The beast was subdued temporarily.

We were back at it Tuesday. Elvis had left the building. We saw maybe a dozen tarpon roll all morning. I jumped one of about 100 pounds. It tossed the hook after the second jump. Finally we didn’t see any rollers at all.

We got a half dozen tunny on Sting Silvers and pogies, and a half dozen blacktip sharks, too. Not spectacular like the previous day, but entertaining nonetheless.

The sharks were a nuisance, but they photograph well.

That is this week’s exciting version of the Orlando Saltwater Tarpon Fishing Report.

I will not be posting another report until mid-July.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short. Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.

Bonefishing Crooked Island, Bahamas

A Guest Blog by Michelle M. Yelton

Guide Shakey shows off a bonefish.

Shakey. The name, not the fly-fishing. The fishing is spot on.  Standing atop a powder white flat seasoned with a gray-toned rock bottom, Shakey points his finger with the confidence of a military sniper and commands, “ten o’clock, 30 feet, cast it now.”

To the untrained eye, even donning a pair of polarized lenses, one might think Shakey is off.  But, he couldn’t be more precise.  Hidden in clear sight is a bounty of bonefish.

To someone listening in, one might mistake Shakey for an intense gym trainer.

“Cast it again! Now, now! Go! Aww, shit, you missed it.  Dropped it too hard. Try again, man.”

It’s no wonder these stunning fish, nearly transparent and adorned with sterling silver tiger stripes, are also known as the “ghosts of the flats.” It’s the unlikely scenario where camouflage meets pristine beauty giving fly fisherman and guides the challenge of first spotting, then landing one.

But after 18 years as a fly-fishing guide on the Crooked Island of the Bahamas, make no mistake, Shakey’s eyes and judgment are not a reflection of his nickname.

Born Elton McKinney, Shakey remembers the first time he witnessed the sport of fly fishing.

“In 1994 this guy came to the island to fly fish, and I thought it was the craziest thing I’d ever seen,” Shakey recalls.  ”But after watching him a while, I asked him to teach me.”

That was just the beginning.  His family thought he was foolish for spending gas money to boat around the islands looking for bonefish, but Shakey knew he discovered a gem that could profoundly impact his town’s economy.

“I told them to relax; that this was my money and my time. Knowledge is power and I just keep pushing on.” 

And he was right. Before guiding for bonefish, Shakey and his father hauled in bonefish commercially. Once Shakey realized the fish had more potential as a tourism draw, he took action to stop that practice.

“After I started guiding I told my old man, ‘We aren’t hauling no more bonefish,’” said Shakey. “And he wasn’t happy about that. Then, I went to the police and told them these fish mean more to us than the nets, and the police agreed with that.”

Shakey and his team of seven anglers guide all year round.  While prime season is October through May, the fishing is still worthwhile the entire year.  Trips can be booked through Crooked Island Lodge.

Lodging
A group of four-room bungalows that a few yards from the beach complete with restaurant, gift shop and bar make up Crooked Island Lodge. Built in the late 1960s, the rustic and serene lodge offers the only commercial lodging option on the island. Accommodations are air-conditioned and comfortably simple, yet a good night’s sleep is never a challenge with the rocking cadence of ocean waves right outside your window. Maxing out at 12 rooms, action and adventure are only found on the water. On land, it’s all about relaxation whether it is lying beachside underneath shaded hammocks or strolling the immaculate shoreline.

Activities
In addition to the excellent fly-fishing, there are a variety of incredible spots for diving, deep sea fishing, swimming and snorkeling.  Better yet, hire a guide boat or rent kayaks and head across the bay to the old, abandoned lighthouse.  While there, learn how to catch conch or spear fresh lobster, and watch in awe as the guide transforms it into a gourmet seaside meal with just a knife, some foil and a hand-built fire. For an added treat while fly-fishing, ask Shakey to make the dolphins jump.

Dining
Meals are cooked to order three times a day at Crooked Island Lodge, and lunch coolers are packed for excursions. Dinners are the highlight of the dining experience where everyone is served the same meal, which is always a surprise of freshly caught seafood. The food is divine.

Local Tips
UV tops and pants recommended to fight the daytime sunrays, especially if going out on the water.  Pack some lightweight, long-sleeved shirts and pants or bug spray to ward off the mosquitoes and sand fleas while on land.

How to Get There
Bahamas Air flies to Crooked Island early on Saturdays and Wednesdays, which requires an overnight stop in Nassau the night before. Likewise, Pineapple Air flies in early on Mondays and Fridays.  Otherwise, hire a private charter and fly straight to Crooked Island Lodge, which has its own seaside runway.  Travelers on charter boats often make pit stops at Crooked Island Lodge where they can find food, drinks and wireless Internet.  Anchor in the bay and use a dinghy to come ashore.

Learn More
To learn more about fly-fishing in Crooked Island, Bahamas, contact The Granddaddy Fly Fishing Experience at info@granddaddyflyfishing.com or 828-288-1221 or visit their website at www.granddaddyflyfishing.com.  Additional information about Crooked Island Lodge and Crooked Island, Bahamas can be found at http://crookedislandlodge.com/.

North Carolina resident Michelle Yelton works for a public relations firm. She enjoys fishing in the Bahamas.

Related articles

• Bonefishing: Mangrove Cay, Andros Island Bahamas
• Albula vulpes

Orlando Saltwater Fishing Report 61

The orlando saltwater report this week is not too exciting. Just telling it like it is.

I had a fly charter booked for Thursday. The winds were forecast to, and in fact did, blow hard out of the east all week at 15-25 mph. The water in the Mosquito Lagoon is full of microscopic algae and is a yucky brown color. My fisherman had expressed interest in the Banana River Lagoon’s no motor zone. So Wednesday I took the kayak over there to scout.

To my surprise and delight the water was clean. I could fish against the shoreline. There were not many fish and the few I saw I ran over- it was overcast on Wednesday. I did not get a shot at any of the fish I saw. But it seemed fishable.

Thursday Mr. Nick Colantonio, fly fisher extraordinaire from Tampa, and I went out in the canoe and looked for fish in the same place. Nick cast a popper for a while, had two sniffs and a solid strike from a seatrout. The hook did not stick.

We looked for redfish once the sun got up. The light wasn’t good. There were lots of clouds, and of course the wind swirled crazily. We saw 12 or 15 reds all day, did not get a good shot at any of them. We were off the water at 3 PM.

So I only got out two days and did not catch a fish either day.

That is this week’s not-so-exciting version of the Orlando Saltwater Fishing Report.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short. Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.

Tarpon Fishing Report 526

This week’s Tarpon Fishing Report:

First, please remember the reason for the holiday. Lots of young men have died so we could have a day off.

Next, a Mosquito Lagoon update.

algae bloom in progress, indian river lagoon

I had a reader send me this aerial photograph, showing the Indian River Lagoon north of the Max Brewer Causeway in Titusville. From the air the algae in the water is obvious. On Friday I spoke with Drew Cavanaugh, who told me that the algae in Mosquito Lagoon had bloomed and visibility into the water at Tiger Shoal was about one inch. Bad news for sight fishers and lovers of seagrass, this. I will have to investigate myself this coming week.

On to the tarpon fishing-

Tuesday I got up at 430, hopped in the chariot, and towed the Mitzi to Pineland Marina, launching the boat at about 10 AM. Went to spot number one, had a few bad shots while under way with the trolling motor. Still, there were fish there, a good thing. Ran out and set up camp on the beach, anchoring and waiting. Several fish came through. Had some shots and a few looks but no eaters. Still, was guardedly optimistic for the next day.

Wednesday Clint Scott, an expatriate fly fisherman living in Rio de Janeiro, joined me for a day’s fly fishing for tarpon. We went to spot number one. Clint was using a black and purple streamer. He had several shots and had an eat, putting an eighty pound fish into the air. The fish shook the fly on the first jump, however. We beat the spot to death and then ran out to the beach and anchored. Good numbers of fish came through. Clint had thre hard looks but no bites. We bagged it around 6 PM only having gotten the one bite.

Thursday found Clint in the Mitzi again. We had a solid 15 mph wind from the west at the start. I poled into it about a half mile, sweating blood the whole time, and we did not see a fish. Went to another spot and had a couple shots but no interest from the tarpon. We went out to the beach.

It was sloppy out there, so much so the bilge pump was running constantly. Very few fish came through. We waited for hours and gradually all the other boats left except my friend Rick and us.

Finally a string of fish came right at us. Clint made a good cast. A tarpon came up and tracked the fly about ten feet, then turned off. I opined a fly change was in order, and tied on a black and purple streamer. I instructed Clint to make a practice cast, which he did. The line immediately came tight and sixty pounds of angry tarpon came flying out of the water. Dumb luck? Absolutely, but I’ll take it.

Clint and his first tarpon go at it.

Thirty thrilling minutes later I removed the hook and released Clint’s first tarpon, managing a jump shot while operating the boat. Since it was 6:30 PM we decided we had had enough and went back to Pineland.

On Friday Dr. George Yarko joined me. We went to the first spot, where we had several shots but no interest. We went to another spot where a hard west wind came up. We saw only two tarpon there and blew right past them. We took a beating running out to the beach against the wind, and anchored up once we got out there. Waves washed over the front of the boat constantly. Decent numbers of fish came by. We had several shots had three good, hard looks from the fish but no eats. We packed it in about 5:30.

On Saturday Dr. Yarko and I tried again. Now the wind was east at 15. We went to the first spot, where I netter some pinfish. We anchored up and tossed on out. Thirty minutes later the float disappeared and a large fish started screaming line off the reel. It kept going and before I could get off the anchor and pursue the line went slack. We had about 15 pounds of vegetation on the line, which was broken in the leader. We never did see the fish.

We went out to the beach. It was a crazy, beautiful weather, everyone-who-owns-a-boat-is-out Memorial Day weekend scene out there. We joined the fleet anchored up in the fishing spot and sat. And sat. And sat. We did not see a fish, did not get a shot, and finally at 5:00 left and went to Captiva Pass. There were a few crabs floating through and lots of boats. We only saw one fish and did not get a bite in two floats through. We then decided to bag it and returned to Pineland not having gotten a bite in two days.

Tarpon Lodge under a full moon.

That is this week’s exciting version of the Tarpon Fishing Report.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short. Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.

Cockpit Confidential- A Review

Who amongst us hasn’t looked at a jet aircraft at one time or another and been overcome with wonder? Who amongst us hasn’t been angry and upset while trying to fly on a jet aircraft from point A to point B?

Cockpit Confidential: Everything You Need to Know About Air Travel, by Patrick Smith, paperback, 304 pages, Sourcebooks, Inc., $14.99, was eminently readable from the first page. Much of the book is presented in a question and answer format. Almost any question you have ever had about any aspect of commercial flying is addressed. Smith is extraordinarily comprehensive and just as extraordinarily lucid in his explanations.

The many anecdotes give the book a very personal touch, too. Since Smith has been fascinated by aircraft since childhood, since he’s been an airline pilot since 1990, he certainly has the qualifications to write this book. Luckily for readers, he’s also a gifted writer, unafraid to tackle controversial subjects like airport security, flight delays, and airline customer service (or the lack thereof). He’s a talented researcher, giving a brief history of airline disasters. He discusses the people who fly the planes, who make up the crew, and how they are trained. The book is very thorough.

I didn’t know fully a third of the cost of a plane ticket is government taxes and fees. Is Uncle Sam trying to discourage us from flying? Airlines only make a few dollars profit per passenger on a cross-country flight.

I’m never crazy about getting in a big tube packed with strangers, operated by people I don’t and never will know. But flying is the cheapest, fastest, and safest way to travel long distances. After reading Cockpit Confidential I have much more appreciation for the people and companies that make my travel possible.

Whether you love or hate air travel Cockpit Confidential is an ideal book for anyone who flies, a handbook for airline travelers. I recommend it without reservation.

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.

Related articles

• Commercial pilot dishes on life in the cockpit
• The New Book is Here!

Mosquito Lagoon and Tarpon Fishing Report

Bumper Sticker of the week:

This week’s Mosquito Lagoon and Tarpon Fishing Report:

Monday morning Scott Radloff and I braved 20-25 knot winds and thick overcast to try fishing in the Mosquito Lagoon. I got a redfish on my first cast. I would love to say “then it got better.” That may be a bit of an exageration. We did get a half dozen each of reds and trout though, including some very solid fish. And the overcast broke up, and the sun came out! The wind just kept a-honking, though. My lure of choice was an old Riptide Weedless jig outfitted with a four inch DOA CAL jerkbait. The last two fish we got on mullet pieces. We did better then we had any right to expect, that’s for sure.

Scott said I look scary while wearing the Sun Armor. That may be true, but who looks scarier, me…

I got several trout. This was the nicest.

…or Scott?

Scott was real happy with this 28 inch redfish.

Wednesday saw another 4 AM wake-up call and four hours of driving to fish with friend Rick again. I had shots at tarpon all day long (wasn’t sick this time either). On the best shot I had three fish closely examined the fly. All said no. I pulled it in and looked. It was fouled.    I hooked two small cobia that were following rays and lost both of them. Thus the day ended.

Thursday we tried again. Again I had shots most of the day. I had several “almosts” and got one bite on a black and purple streamer. I broke the fish off after beating it. It wasn’t very big, only about 50 pounds, but I got a real tarpon on a fly, something that had been missing from my repertoire lately. Gracias a Deus! They are such incredible fish!

Tarpon and I, mano a mano.

That is this week’s exciting version of the Mosquito Lagoon and Tarpon Fishing Report.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short. Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.

Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report 511

Happy Mother’s Day to moms everywhere!

This week’s Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report:

-Sunday- Joe Bonk and his son Matt joined me for a day’s Mosquito Lagoon fishing. I had some anxiety as I hadn’t been out there in over a week and the weather system of the previous several days probably moved the fish. We were slow at first but we found some reds, including a couple of nice schools. Joe and Matt ended up getting four slot fish on Johnson Minnows. All the trout that I had been finding moved, a very sad thing.

Bonk the Younger with a nice redfish. I love the name!

-Monday- went to the lagoon on a search mission, hoping to locate the trout. Did not. Found reds almost everywhere I looked though, a good thing.

-Tuesday- Happy Birthday Joey Cordell! Dad Carey took Joey and his girlfriend Kelly out for a day’s Mosquito Lagoon fishing. It was good. We found quite a large school of reds at the top of the slot. Kelly and Joey each got one on mullet chunks. That was the last of the bait use, though.

Joey and Kelly are students at UCF. They can catch redfish now.

We switched to the Johnson Minnow. Carey was on fire for a while, getting five or six slot reds. Finally Joey started hitting them too. In the meantime Kelly was throwing a jerkbait without success. Joey and Kelly switched rods. Joey got two nice trout, over 20 inches, on the jerkbait. Kelly managed a pinfish on the spoon. I wanted a picture of it but that didn’t happen.

We worked the same area for hours, catching fish steadily. When it finally slowed down we went to another place. Joey got the 15th or so red of the day on the jerkworm, the last bite we got.

Joey got quite a few fish. This is another one.

-Wednesday- I went to the St. Johns River to search for bluegills. How hard could that be? They’re smarter than me evidently. I foul-hooked a gar, got a crappie, got an aquarium-sized largemouth bass, got a fairly-hooked gar on a popping bug, and got some nice photos. The bluegills eluded me though.

The gar, one of Florida’s uglier fish.

There are lots of cattle on the St. Johns River floodplain. This can’t be helping the water quality.

A spoonbill preens while roosting.

Cabbage palms grow along the river.

-Friday- Dr. George Yarko and Ron Novitsky joined my redfish quest on the Mosquito Lagoon. Of course I went back to where all the action was on Tuesday. Of course most of the fish had left. We got two slot reds on a Johnson Minnow. We tried a few other spots without success and ended the morning’s fishing  with only two fish to show for our efforts. It was a beautiful day!

A tiny black mangrove provides a perch for these birds.

And that is the exciting May 11, 2013 version of the Mosquito Lagoon Fishing Report.

Life is great and I love my work!

Life is short. Go Fishing!

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.

Related articles

• Save The Mosquito Lagoon!
• Large Fish Die-Off Reported in Florida’s Indian River Lagoon
• Spaceport effort gets Council support

Florida Photo Essay

Sometimes, when you go fishing, you don’t find many fish. So it was when I went to the St. Johns River this week.

Fortunately I brought my cameras. I managed to find a few images instead. I present some here for your perusal.

The lower Econlockhatchee River, a lovely stream.

This Snowy Egret has its breeding plumage on.

I found a place where several roseate spoonbills were roosting. I was quiet. They were tolerant. I was able to get some photographs and leave. They never flew away.

Florida has about one and a half million cattle, and ranks tenth in the nation in beef production. Cows, however, do not make intelligent photo models.

Moooooo!

Horses are a little smarter than cows but still aren’t interested in modeling. Thank goodness for cabbage palms.

I thought this was the strongest shot of the day.

What would a Florida photo essay be without a sunset shot?

John Kumiski
http://www.spottedtail.com

All content in this blog, including writing and photos, copyright John Kumiski 2013. All rights are reserved.